Anti-fogging ventilated goggle



May 1, 1962 K. F. DUBACH ANTIFOGGING VENTILATED GOGGLE Filed July 2'7, 1959 INVENTOR. KENNETH F DUBACH ATTORNEYS United rates 3,031,675 ANTl-FQGGING VENTILATED GGGGLE Kenneth F. Dubaeii, Mountain View, Calif. University of Washington Hospital, Seattle, Wash.) Filed July 27, 1959, Ser. No. 829,587 2 Claims. (K31. 2-14) occurs sufiiciently to obstruct onevision it may be dangerous, and, in any event, requires that the goggle be. discarded immediately.

The present invention contemplates the provision of an improved, ventilating type goggle. The invention also provides an anti-fogging goggle which, when subjected to a frontal blast of air, provides laterally deflected air streams across the inside of both sides of the goggle lens, but clear of the eyeballs of a wearer of the goggles. A further object of the invention is to provide a goggle with a central air inlet opening and lateral air-deflecting means beneath such opening, air vents being also provided, marginally of the goggle lens, to vent the air which is deflected laterally both ways from the central opening.

These, and other objects and advantages of the invention, will be apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of a goggle embodying the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the goggle shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along line 3--3 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along line 4-4 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged, fragmentary, sectional view taken along line 55 of FIG. 3.

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary, sectional view taken along line 66 of FIG. 5.

Briefly, the illustrated embodiment of the invention comprises a goggle A having a central air inlet opening 10 in the single lens 11 thereof. An air deflecting baffle plate 12 is mounted inwardly of the opening 10, and is spaced slightly from the lens 11 for deflecting an air stream entering through the central opening 10 laterally toward both sides of the goggle. A pair of vent openings 13 and 14 are provided on each side of the goggle A for venting to the atmosphere the laterally deflected air streams indicated by the arrows 17 and 18, respectively (FIG. 3). The lateral air streams 17 and 18 flow across the inner surface of the lens 11 and thus resist any tendency of the lens to fog up.

Referring to the drawings in detail, the illustrated goggle A is, except for the anti-fogging means of the present invention incorporated therein, of a well known type. However, the specific type of goggle employed is not material to the present invention, since said invention can be incorporated in almost any goggle, whether provided with means to marginally seal it to wearers face or not. The illustrated goggle A comprises a frame 13, which may be of soft, resilient, molded rubber, with an enclosed wall 2%} of suflicie-nt rigidity to withstand the tensile stress of a usual elastic head band 21. The latter is adapted to pass around the back of a wearers head in a usual manner, and holds the goggle in position over the eyes of a wearer.

A thin sealing flange 22, which may be integral with the goggle frame wall 20, is shaped to conform to the atent 0 contours of a wearers face (not shown) and thereby to seal the goggle frame 19 thereto. The two vent openings 13 and 14 in each side of the goggle frame wall 20 preferably are of sufficient size to allow free escape to the atmosphere of the air which enters the central lens opening 10 after such air has passed across the interior of the lens 11. The size of the lens opening 10, and of the vent openings 13 and 14, is not critical, but may be approximately that shown in FIGS. 1-3.

The lens 11 may be of clear transparent material, such as a clear sheet plastic material, and is mounted in an inwardly open channel 23 (FIG. 3) formed integrally within the forward end of the goggle frame wall 20. The lens mounting channel 23 is of a width to receive the marginal portion of the lens 11 in closely fitted relation therein, and is substantially deeper at the central top and bottom portions 23a and 23b, respectively (FIGS. 1 and 3), than in the remaining portions thereof. Rivets 24 and 25, passing through these upper and lower central flange portions 234 and 23b, and through registering holes provided therefor in the lens 11, and in the b ame plate 12, help to anchor these members to the goggle frame 19.

The head band 21 may be of suitable material, such as elastic fabric of a well-known type commonly used for headbands. The band 21 is attached to the goggle frame 19 in a suitable manner, for example, by being looped through slotted openings 27 and 28 provided therefor in the goggle frame 19 and in the lens 11, respectively. This arrangement, in addition to securing the head band 21 to the goggle, anchors the sides of the lens 11 to the frame 19.

The air inlet opening 10 is provided centrally of the lens 11. Directly beneath this air inlet opening it}, and spaced slightly inwardly from the lens 11, is the air deflector b aille plate 12 of transparent sheet material, which may be similar to the material from which the lens 11 is made. The ballle plate 12 is centered beneath the central lens opening 10, and is sufliciently wider than that opening to extend laterally beyond it on both sides as at 12a and 12b (FIGS. 1 and 3), thus forming a laterally extending duct 26 (FIG. 3) between the lens 11 and each of the overlapping baffle plate portions 12a and 12b.

The upper and lower marginal portions 29 and 30 of the baffle plate 12 are fitted against the inside of the inner flange 31 of the lens receiving channel 23, as best shown in FIGS. 4, 5 and 6, and are secured to this inner flange 31 by suitable means, such as metal U-clips 32. One leg 32a of each U-clip 32 is fitted over a corner of the bafile plate 12 (FIGS. 5 and 6) while: the other leg 32b thereof is inserted between the flange 31 and the lens 11. The legs of said clips are then squeezed together to grip the b-affle plate 12 to the flange 31.

Since in sports and other activities of the kind for which the present invention is intended the forward move ment of the wearer relative to the ambient atmosphere creates a relative frontal wind blowing into the wearers face, air pressure over the central lens opening 10, and the portion of the bafiie plate 12 exposed. in the latter opening, will tend to be increased by ram action, while that at the sides of the goggle over the vents 13 and 14, which are shielded from such relative wind, will obviously tend to be decreased.

These pressure variations cause an inward flow of air through the lens opening 19, laterally both ways from the center through the ducts 26 between the baffle plate 12 and the lens 11, across the inside of the lens 11 as indicated by the arrows 17 and 18 in FIG. 3, and thence out through the vent openings 13 and 14 on both sides of the goggle.

This flow of air across the inner surface of the lens 11 prevents the accumulation of u-ncirculating cold air, moistened by evaporation from, the Wearers eyes, within the goggle, and thus resists any tendency which otherwise might exist for the inside of the: lens 11 to log up.

The invention provides for adequate ventilation of a goggle as long as such goggle is exposed to a relative wind blowing against the front of the goggle, with the ventilating air currents directed across the inner surface of the goggle lens and clear of the eyes of a wearer of such goggle.

While I have illustrated and described a preferred em bodiment of the present invention, it will be understood,

however, that various changes and modifications may be made in the details thereof without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is defined in the following claims:

1. In a sports goggle comprising a marginal frame, with a single lens opening therein, a single lens fitted into the frame and of a size to extend across both eyes of a wearer, said lens having an air inlet opening centrally therein, and a sealing flange on the frame adapted to seal the goggle frame to the face of a wearer; anti-fogging ventilating means comprising a transparent deflector battle plate mounted in slightly inwardly spaced relation to the lens and beneath the air inlet opening therein, said bafile plate having sealing relation at its upper and lower marginal portions with the frame and extending laterally beyond the lens inlet opening on both sides of such opening into slightly spaced, overlapping relation with the lens for a suflicient distance to form between the over lapping portions of the lens and baffle plate a pair of narrow, laterally directed air duets opening laterally both ways from the central lens opening, and spaced forwardly from the eyes of a wearer of the goggle, a vent opening being provided in each side of the goggle frame whereby, when. the goggle is subjected to a frontal air blast, air from such blast will flow in through the central lens opening, will be deflected laterally both ways by the deflector bafiie, will pass through the ducts between the lens and the 'baflle where the latter two overlap on each side of the central opening, and thence will be directed, in the form of a thin, flat air stream across the inner surface of each side of the lens forwardly of the eyes of a wearer and out the vent openings.

2. In a sports goggle comprising a marginal frame, a lens fitted into the frame and of a size to extend across both eyes of a wearer, said lens having an air inlet opening centrally therein, the goggle frame being constructed and arranged to have sealing engagement with the face of a wearer; anti-fogging ventilating means comprising a transparent deflector b aflle plate mounted in slightly inwardly spaced relation to the lens and beneath the air inlet opening therein, and extending laterally beyond the inlet opening on both sides of such opening into spaced, overlapping relation with the lens for a sufficient distance to form between the overlapping portions of the lens and the baffie plate a pair of air ducts opening laterally both ways from the central lens opening, a vent opening being provided in each side of the goggle wall, whereby, when the goggle is subjected to a frontal air blast, air from such blast will flow in through the central lens opening, will be deflected laterally both ways by the deflector bafile, will pass through the ducts between the lens and the bafile where the latter two overlap on each side of the central opening, and thence will be directed, in the form of a thin, fiat air stream across the inner surface of each side of the lens and out the vent openings.

References Cited in. the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,295,391 Troppman Feb. 25, 1919 

